Support structures, such as for example, warehouse storage racks, upright supports, standing frames or columns are frequently subject to damage from contact by fork-lifts or other types of moving vehicles.
While protective barrier guards and/or guide rails, for example, may be useful to protect the support member from contact by a moving vehicle, these safeguards are distant and removed from the support member itself and do not offer protection when the support has received a direct impact load. It is known that a direct impact may compromise the strength of the support resulting in an increased risk of collapse as well as a risk of injury to nearby persons. In addition to repair and/or replacement costs, such damage undoubtedly results in a general disruption in the business at hand (e.g., requiring the use of temporary storage facilities, legal expenses connected with the defense of actions resulting from an accident). Thus, there remains a need for protecting exposed surfaces of a storage rack, support or similar upright structure against impact damage.